The start of everything was when I was five. After wanting to ride for years it was finally time: I was old enough. The horse that I started riding in shows was 16 hands and had chestnut coloring. At first my only passion was equestrianism but as I got older I found that I had a passion for volleyball as well.
The older I have gotten the harder it is to balance both of my sports as well as school. At first volleyball was just for fun, until I tried out for the school team. Thats when things started getting more challenging. Everyone told me to quit one of my sports so that I would have more time for the other but of course that was not an option. When school volleyball started it was twice a week which was not that bad because then I could go out to the ranch on the other days. At that point I had stopped showing all together and it was more focus on the technique as well as the volleyball games. Then when I got into high school that all changed. The volleyball season was intense and I had practice every single day of the school week so that left no time to go out and ride. I'm a competitive horse jumper which means I have to ride at least three times a week to keep my horse in shape. He is a wild caught 15 hand bay mustang that I got when I was 7 and I have been training him ever since at various different ranches. His name is Duke and it was hard moving to different ranches. We have finally found a ranch that we can call home. It is set back in the hills where there is no cell and internet service, only nature. Where the sound of horses and birds chirping rings through the canyon. It has trails that go way back into the hills and there is nothing but open land and cows. My favorite part is when it’s time for the sun to go down but it is still peaking a little over the mountain. It make the clouds turn a dark orange pink. The name of the ranch is Canada Larga and it is very secluded and peaceful. Trying to keep everything in order has been the hardest part along with having to quit both sports for four weeks. Ever since seventh grade I have had problems walking, running or even sitting on top of a horse. This is due to the fact that my knees slide off track and give out. I would love to say that they were getting better but that would be a lie. Life got even more challenging when this started and usually I would just push through the pain and keep going but that’s no longer a choice any more. They affect everything, even school; recently I had an incident where I could not put any pressure on my knee. This led to me not being able to do anything all day and having to miss school because I could not walk. The doctors that I have seen are saying that there is nothing they can do for me. I have already tried physical therapy which has not work out. My knees restrict me from doing what I love but the worst part is watching other people pass me up in my sports. Its really hard to have hope when people keep telling you there is nothing that can be done and you either have to quit or suffer the pain that I will get when I’m older. The part that I would miss most about my sports is the feeling of success. For example, when a six foot volleyball player on the other side of the court spikes a ball to the ground and you have to dive for and find that you actually got it. The feeling where the pass I did was able to earn my team a point is amazing. Also when I’m riding and heading right for a tall jump. That sensation of flying through the air or being in a show and acing the course is incredible. These are the things that I will miss if I have to give them up.
What I know is what it’s like to see other people doing the sports that I love and realize that I might have to give them up. Also not having hope that I will be able to keep doing my sports because of my knees. I know that feeling when I can’t walk and no one else understands why even if I try to explain it to them. They give me a blank look that says “Well that sucks, good luck”, but the saying “you can’t understand until you have walk a mile in their shoes” for me is a true statement. This is what I know, that no matter how hard you try sometimes it’s just not enough.
The older I have gotten the harder it is to balance both of my sports as well as school. At first volleyball was just for fun, until I tried out for the school team. Thats when things started getting more challenging. Everyone told me to quit one of my sports so that I would have more time for the other but of course that was not an option. When school volleyball started it was twice a week which was not that bad because then I could go out to the ranch on the other days. At that point I had stopped showing all together and it was more focus on the technique as well as the volleyball games. Then when I got into high school that all changed. The volleyball season was intense and I had practice every single day of the school week so that left no time to go out and ride. I'm a competitive horse jumper which means I have to ride at least three times a week to keep my horse in shape. He is a wild caught 15 hand bay mustang that I got when I was 7 and I have been training him ever since at various different ranches. His name is Duke and it was hard moving to different ranches. We have finally found a ranch that we can call home. It is set back in the hills where there is no cell and internet service, only nature. Where the sound of horses and birds chirping rings through the canyon. It has trails that go way back into the hills and there is nothing but open land and cows. My favorite part is when it’s time for the sun to go down but it is still peaking a little over the mountain. It make the clouds turn a dark orange pink. The name of the ranch is Canada Larga and it is very secluded and peaceful.
Trying to keep everything in order has been the hardest part along with having to quit both sports for four weeks. Ever since seventh grade I have had problems walking, running or even sitting on top of a horse. This is due to the fact that my knees slide off track and give out. I would love to say that they were getting better but that would be a lie. Life got even more challenging when this started and usually I would just push through the pain and keep going but that’s no longer a choice any more. They affect everything, even school; recently I had an incident where I could not put any pressure on my knee. This led to me not being able to do anything all day and having to miss school because I could not walk. The doctors that I have seen are saying that there is nothing they can do for me. I have already tried physical therapy which has not work out. My knees restrict me from doing what I love but the worst part is watching other people pass me up in my sports. Its really hard to have hope when people keep telling you there is nothing that can be done and you either have to quit or suffer the pain that I will get when I’m older.
The part that I would miss most about my sports is the feeling of success. For example, when a six foot volleyball player on the other side of the court spikes a ball to the ground and you have to dive for and find that you actually got it. The feeling where the pass I did was able to earn my team a point is amazing. Also when I’m riding and heading right for a tall jump. That sensation of flying through the air or being in a show and acing the course is incredible. These are the things that I will miss if I have to give them up.
What I know is what it’s like to see other people doing the sports that I love and realize that I might have to give them up. Also not having hope that I will be able to keep doing my sports because of my knees. I know that feeling when I can’t walk and no one else understands why even if I try to explain it to them. They give me a blank look that says “Well that sucks, good luck”, but the saying “you can’t understand until you have walk a mile in their shoes” for me is a true statement. This is what I know, that no matter how hard you try sometimes it’s just not enough.